Rating: 
Summary: A story that you'll read into the night...
Review: "Everest: Mountain without mercy", the story of the IMAX team who filmed the climbing of Mt. Everest and the tragedy that ensued, made me want to get out and climb. Right now. I'd stop reading for the evening around 1 a.m. (as I couldn't put it down) and want to strap on the crampons and venture up the nearest ravine -- or at least a big staircase. Then as it went on, the author, Coburn, through his group of climbers brought the reality home to me of the exhaustion involved in a high altitude climb such as Chomolunga (the ancient name for Everest). The photos accompanying the story also conveyed the feeling for the immenseness of the undertaking. However, it is good that this story will be put in the IMAX format, as the photos, as brilliant as they are, cannot convey the size and surroundings that the Himalayas require. I would have given this book my highest rating, as I could barely drop it, except for two problems: First, the author threw out quite a few technical phrases concerning climbing, Buddhism or the mountain itself, that left me reaching for a dictionary, when I just wanted to find out what happened next. Sometimes I could figure out something from the context, sometimes I couldn't (it wasn't until the middle of the book that I discovered Cwm was a Welsh word, pronounced "koom"). My second beef is about the layout, though I'm not sure of another way to approach it. In the middle of a story, the author would mix in seperate "articles" from various authors about the climate, or geology, or religion, or filming, that while interesting, forced me to choose between continuing the page or the chapter or sentence and reading the article. I can understand the placement, but it broke my chain of thought such that it made me chop up a story that compelled me. But these small problems were made up for by a story of courage, insight, history, and drama. By the end I realized that while Everest isn't for me, the lessons learned on the mountain can be passed on without the use of bottled oxygen or climbing gear. I highly suggest the read.
Rating:
Summary: A story that you'll read into the night...
Review: "Everest: Mountain without mercy", the story of the IMAX team who filmed the climbing of Mt. Everest and the tragedy that ensued, made me want to get out and climb. Right now. I'd stop reading for the evening around 1 a.m. (as I couldn't put it down) and want to strap on the crampons and venture up the nearest ravine -- or at least a big staircase. Then as it went on, the author, Coburn, through his group of climbers brought the reality home to me of the exhaustion involved in a high altitude climb such as Chomolunga (the ancient name for Everest). The photos accompanying the story also conveyed the feeling for the immenseness of the undertaking. However, it is good that this story will be put in the IMAX format, as the photos, as brilliant as they are, cannot convey the size and surroundings that the Himalayas require. I would have given this book my highest rating, as I could barely drop it, except for two problems: First, the author threw out quite a few technical phrases concerning climbing, Buddhism or the mountain itself, that left me reaching for a dictionary, when I just wanted to find out what happened next. Sometimes I could figure out something from the context, sometimes I couldn't (it wasn't until the middle of the book that I discovered Cwm was a Welsh word, pronounced "koom"). My second beef is about the layout, though I'm not sure of another way to approach it. In the middle of a story, the author would mix in seperate "articles" from various authors about the climate, or geology, or religion, or filming, that while interesting, forced me to choose between continuing the page or the chapter or sentence and reading the article. I can understand the placement, but it broke my chain of thought such that it made me chop up a story that compelled me. But these small problems were made up for by a story of courage, insight, history, and drama. By the end I realized that while Everest isn't for me, the lessons learned on the mountain can be passed on without the use of bottled oxygen or climbing gear. I highly suggest the read.
Rating:
Summary: Almost like being there.
Review: A great book on the experience of taking on Mt. Everest. The photography is great. Anyone interested experiencing MT. Everest without actually going there, should read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Primer on Buddhist/Sherpa culture
Review: After reading "Into Thin Air," I've been searching out any book or magazine article about the obsession of reaching the top of Everest. After hearing David Breashears on NPR, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Maybe I expected too much. The photography is stunning, and I appreciated the technical info about the logistics of filming at high altitudes. What I did not like was the extreme detail Coburn went into every time anyone waved a juniper branch. Fully 1/3 of the way into the book I was still reading details of every Buddhist god of every rock on the trek. I realize this faith is extremely important to the Sherpas (and also the author) but my enthusiasm for the prayers and rituals did not match Coburn's need to illuminate me.
Rating:
Summary: Best of many books about Everest
Review: After reading 6 books involving climbers on Everest, this one is tops. It is a full Everest story from tragedy to triumph. This book goes into Sherpa culture, Nepalese customs, the formation of the Himalayas and every related subject to the yearly assault on the mountain. Pictures are beautiful, fitting of an IMAX film. See the movie too!
Rating:
Summary: The details make this more satisfying than "Into Thin Air"
Review: Although this book does not have the emotional punch of Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", ultimately I found it to be more satisfying mainly due to the amount of detail and the incredible photography. Without a doubt, this is a more complete accounting of the events which occurred during the May 1996 climbing season on Everest. I enjoyed the sections on Everest history, geology, cartography, Sherpa culture and religion, climbing techniques, high-altitude physiology, etc. All this detail may be annoying to some readers - this book is a serious read. Most importantly, I consider the recounting of the Rob Hall & Scott Fischer team disasters to be more objective and credible. Jon Krakauer's telling of the story is more gripping, but it is also tainted by guilt and blame due to his intimacy with the events. I recommend reading both books together - Krakauer's for the emotion, and this one other for the detail, photos, and objectivity. I can't wait to see the IMAX movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous Photography, Sketchy Text
Review: As long as you view this in the "Coffee Table" genre, you will be spellbound and in awe. The photographs are so gorgeous and often I found myself being deluded by the scale - the little tiny specks in the picture often turned out to be people! I have a particular interest in Everest because my parents have hiked the 30 day trek to Base Camp with the British Ramblers, not once but twice.
I cannot help but notice that the author, Broughton Coburn, has nothing positive to say about Jon Krakauer. Krakauer, a client on the 1996 Everest expedition and the author of "Into Thin Air," took care of himself as well as assisting in the rescue of other clients. He will forever be one of my heroes. By contrast, the author refers to the ordeal Seaborn "Beck" Weathers, M.D., survived with what seems to be some animosity towards the other survivors. Dr. Weathers is NOT a victim, and I'm sure he would be the first to tell you so. He survived because of his will to live and strength of character. He is the one who made the decision to go for the summit despite his worsening vision problems, without informing expedition leader Rob Hall of his vision issues until he (Beck) was already on the summit push. He paid a terrible price by losing his nose and hands, and must have contributed to the collective disaster by spreading thin resources even thinner.
I suggest reading "Into Thin Air" for background, in conjunction with this gorgeous book. The photographs are of extremely high quality, even by National Geographic standards!
Rating:
Summary: great photos
Review: great phots and more scientific indepth articles but for interesting reading buy high exposure by d. breashears or climb by anatoli b. instead
Rating:
Summary: Felt like I was there
Review: Having hiked to the Everest Base Camp some years back, the book was a journey down memory lane. While I did like the book Into Thin Air too, what a difference can the glossy pictures and the good print make.
The description of the route in the book backed up with pictures made my experience almost first hand. While capturing some of the events that somehow relate to the main story, like Tenzing and Hillary's climb in 1953, they are limited to the extent where the reader never loses track of the central plot. Also, it moves very quickly.
Particularly interesting was to read how Beck Weathers rose up from his icy grave and made it back to summit camp. I also liked the analysis of the tragedy - there were serveral points made but the author did not attempt to make any judgement.
Rating:
Summary: Love it
Review: I adore this book - an excellent addition to any 'Everest library'. The photos and production are breathtaking. Yep, it's a coffee-tabler, and it sits in my living room. It's a potpourri of Everest-ness...if you have seen the Imax film, then this is a must have, and even if you haven't i can't imagine anyone being disappointed with it.
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